Swing-boat.



No. 7|3,263. Patented Nov. Il, |902.

J. WHITE.

SWING BOAT.

(Application filed Sept. 10, 1902.) (N 0 M 0 d B l.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH WHITE, OF OOEAN GROVE, NEW JERSEY.

SWING-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,263, dated November 11, 1902.

Application filed September 10, 1902. Serial No. 122,895. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ocean Grove, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Swing-Boat, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to devices employed more particularly for the amusement of children, butA which may be employed for exercise with oars in imitation of the rowing of a boat, and has for its object the production of a simply-constructed apparatus in which the rower can secure all of the advantages of the more expensive exercising-machines at a much less cost and with greater convenience.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and nally pointed out in the claims.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 represents a plan view thereof.

The same reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

The device may be in the form of a boat or any other suitable vehicle suspended from any suitable support, and the support may be in the form of posts rising from the ground or a framework movable from place to place, or the vehicle may be suspended from the ceiling of a room or porch. For the purpose of illustration a supporting-frame Vis shown consisting of four posts 10, 11, 12, and 13 rising from the ground and preferably connected at their upper ends by a canopy-top 14. This frame may be of any required height or size and spacedany suitable distance apart, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited in any manner to the form or v construction of the frame, as it may be varied to suit circumstances. If the device is to be located permanently at some particular-place on a'lawn, the supporting-frame will preferably be in the form of posts having their lower ends supported in the ground and provided with a canopy-top, substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings, and this will be the preferable arrangement when the device is to be used out of doors. If, however, the device is to be moved from place to place, the frame will be a portable one, or the device may be swung from any desired or suitable support, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes and modifications in the supporting means as may be required to adapt the device to the location where it is to be used.

The vehicle in which the operator sits will preferably be in the form of a boat of any suitable size, as represented at 15, and suspended at suitable points by rods, ropes, or other suspension means, as shown. In the illustration the suspension means employed are ropes, one being shown at 16, connecting the bow of the boat, and two at 17 18, connecting the stern of the boat, with the supporting-frame; but I do not wish to be limited to the specific number of suspension means or to the material employed, as these may be modied by the form of the boat employed and by other circumstances. Generally, however, the suspension means will be made of ropes or wire cables, as indicated.

The gunwales of the boat will be provided with oar-locks of any suitable design and of the ordinary construction, as indicated at 19 20, and the boat will be provided with one or more seats, one of the seats, 28, being located in the same relative position to the oarlocks as the seat of an ordinary boat, so that the operator on the seat may readily actuate the oars, (represented at 22 23,) movably connected in the ordinary manner to the oarlocks.

The oar-locks shown are of the ordinary thole-pin variety; but it is obvious that any of the usual forms of oar-lock may be employed, as may be desired.

Located at opposite sides of the boat and at any suitable distance therefrom are standards 24 25.

When the device is used out of doors, the standards 24 25 will be in the form of stakes driven into the ground to a sufficient distance to insure the requisite rigidity, as indicated in the drawings; but when the supportingframe is of the portable kind the standards will be a part of the framework, as will be obvious, or they may be secured to the floor of a porch or room by means of sockets securely fastened to said floor in any suitable manner and provided with suitable means IOO for holding the standards rigid. Engaging the standards 24 25 by one side are open links or frames 26 27, through which the outer portion of the oars pass, the links thus serving as fulcrums for the oars, as shown in Fig. l. These links maybeconstructedin any suitable manner and secured to the standards either rigidly or movably, but will preferably be in the form of oblong frames hinged at one side to the standards and swinging free by their other sides, the oars slidably engaging the sides of the vertical members of the linkframes as they are operated in the act of rowing. Thus at the forward stroke the oars will engage the swinging side of the linkframes, which thus serve as a fulcrum to cause the boat to swing upon its suspension members 16 17 18, and then at the return stroke the oars will engage the side of the link-frames next to or formed by the standard, which then becomes the fulcrum by which the boat is caused to swing in the opposite direction, and by repeating these movements the boat maybe vibrated upon its suspension means, the motion of the oars being exactly the same as that employed in rowing in water.

The link-frames 26 27 permit the oars t0 be raised and lowered in precisely the same manner as in rowing when dipping the oars into and out of water. By this simple means the occupant of the boat may exactly imitate the motion of rowing and receive all the benefit of that exercise, while at the same time imparting to the boat a swinging motion, so that the other occupants of the boat will enjoy the sensation of swinging, while the one operating the oars will enjoy both the sensation of swinging and that of rowing.

While the links 26 27 are preferably made movable, as they give better results when so mounted, yet they may be rigidly mounted when desired and serve to keep the oars in place equally well and offer the same resistance to the oars` as when rowing in water.

It will be noticed that when at rest the oars are supported by the lower members of the links 26 27, so that they are at all times in position for action and require no adjustment before being used. This is an important advantage, especially when the device is used by children and others not skilled in the use of oars.'

The device may be of any size to hold any number of persons and may be constructed of any suitable material. It may be constructed very simply and cheaply or more expensively, as may be preferred, but one of the advantages of the device is that it can be constructed very cheaply and its usefulness thus materially increased. A

The parts may be modified to any desired extent without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications and alterations as may fall within the scope of the claims.

l claim as my inventionl. In a device of the class described, a vehicle movably supported and provided with oppositelydisposed oarlocks, oars movably mounted in said oar-locks, means for engagement by said oars and acting as fulcrums therefor, said fulcrum means being provided with means for regulating the upward-anddownward movement of said oars.

2. In a device of the class described, avehicle movably supported and provided with op positelydisposed oar locks, oars movably mounted in said oar-locks, standards spaced apart and provided with means for receiving the outer ends of said oars and preventing their accidental disengagement therefrom, said means acting also as fulcrums for said oars in the rowing operation.

3. In a device of the class described, a vehicle movably supported and provided with oppositely-disposed oar-locks, standards spaced apart and provided with links, and oars movably engaging said oar-locks and links.

4. In adevice of the class described, avellicle, means for suspending said vehicle in a longitudinally-movable position,oarlocks oppositely disposed on said vehicle, standards spaced apart and provided with links, and oars movably engaging said oar-locks and links.

5. In a device of the class described, a vehiole movably suspended, oppositely-disposed oar-locks mounted on said vehicle, standards spaced apart and having movable links, and oars movably engaging said oar-locks and links.

6. The combination of, asnpporting-frame, a vehicle movably suspended therefrom, oarlocks mount-ed on said vehicle, standards spaced apart and provided with links, and oars movably engaging said oar-locks and links.

7. In a device of the class described, a vehicle movably supported and provided with oppositely-disposed oar-locks, standards spaced apart upon opposite sides of said vehicle, open links connected by one end to said standards, and oars movablyengagingsaid oar-locks and extending through said links and alternately engaging their oppositesides.

8. In a device of the class described, a vehicle movably supported and provided With'oppositely-disposed oar-locks, a seat disposed adjacent to said oar-locks, standards spaced apart and provided with links supported movably in substantial vertical alinement with said oar-locks, and oars movably engaging said oar-locks and links.

9. In a device of the class described, a boat mounted to swing longitudinally and provided with oppositely disposed oar locks, standards spaced apart at opposite sides of said boat, and links having apertures and movably connected to said standards, and oars movably engaging said oar-locks and extending through the apertures in said links.

IOO

IIO

10. In a device of the class described, a sup- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as port, a vehicle suspended to swing from said my own I have hereto afxed my signature n support and provided with oar-locks mounted the presence of two Witnesses. on opposite sides thereof,oars movably mount- JOSEPH WHITE.

5 ed in said looks, and oar-engaging devices dis Witnesses:

posed at opposite sides of said vehicle and ERNEST N. WooLsToN, adapted to serve as fulerums for said oars. FREDERICK A. SMITH. 

